Wildfires destroyed hundreds of homes in southern California yesterday, closing major roads and forcing thousands of residents to escape to safety. The flames swept across a trailer park in Los Angeles, scorching trees and beating back firefighters.

'We have almost total devastation in the mobile park,' said Los Angeles Fire Steve Ruda. 'I can't even read the street names because the signs are melting.'

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles, a day after 111 homes were burnt to the ground in the wealthy community of Montecito north-west of the city. Celebrities such as Michael Douglas and Oprah Winfrey own houses there.

The Los Angeles blaze threatened at least 1,000 properties, according to officials. They estimated some 10,000 people were under orders to evacuate. One resident was said to be in a serious condition and four firefighters were treated for minor injuries.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said dry winds from the desert had fanned the fires in the district of Sylmar that had destroyed more homes than any other in the past decade. He urged residents in the area to leave quickly if they were in harm's way. 'This fire can be on you at a moment's notice,' he said.

The fires raged on both sides of Interstate 5, the main freeway connecting Los Angeles with the north, and the path of transmission lines bringing power to the city. Two of the five main lines had to be taken down because of damage to a converting station, and a third power line was directly damaged by heat, causing 115,000 customers to be without power for 45 minutes.

California's fire season, which traditionally starts in June, has been lengthening and getting worse, according to officials. Los Angeles, which is home to nearly 10 million people, has been largely spared damage this year. In October last year 30 blazes raged across southern California, forcing the evacuation of more than 500,000 people and damaging some 2,000 homes.